Gray Orcs
Gray Orcs are a fictional species from the Source Lands Setting, being a type of Goblinoids originally stemming from the mountains of Talanthia, but who have spread to various regions of the Source Lands. Origin How the Gray Orcs came to exist is not entirely known, but they claim to have already been different by the time scholars agree that they had their primary uplifting. The blood of the Gray Orcs is not as tainted as that of other Goblinoids, and they are not ruled by their own instincts in the same way other Goblinoids are, though still highly primal. The Uplifting It is said that Septimus Mithlander encountered the Gray Orcs first, when he was searching for the Sun Stone, and was written into their legends and myths as a heroic figure, and one of the reasons why Gray Orcs respect human warriors. Biology Gray Orcs of very pure blood live on average, to be 60 years in captivity. They rarely reach so venerable ages in their own society, most not living past the age of 30. * A Gray Orc Child is fully grown in less than ten years, but is not matured for another 5, so around age 15 the Orc is fully of age - mentally. A Bol (unimportant male) is sent to the Kas-Mar (the Guard-Corps) at age 10, whereas a Dol (a unmarried woman without a job) begins a specifically selected apprenticeship at age 10. At age 15, the Dol has either become a Yal (someone with a specific job, relating to crafting or something else in Gray Orc society), has been selected for marriage to a Fur (an honored Gray-Orc "Lord") or she forms her own Val (clan). * Gray Orc pregnancies last only ~3 months, and their fertility and when they give birth seems to be heavily related to moon-phases. They often birth 2-3 children at a time, often 1-2 boys and a girl. It isn't unheard of to birth more than 3 children at all - it happens frequently, but girls are much rarer than boys. * The Gray Orcs survive primarily on meat - they herd animals and do grow crops and orchards however. They mainly use the crops and orchards for alcohol, food for their slaves, food for their animals and flavoring and supplement of meaty dishes. * Gray Orcs heal rather fast, and a female Gray Orc usually recovers from a pregnancy after just a single month, and is then ready to mate again. Curiously, the female Gray Orcs seem to have some measure of subconscious control over their own wombs, as they easily become impregnated if strong emotions are tied to the union - negative or positive. A married female will often bear children of every union, but a Dol might have to bed a dozen males to reach a bodily state where the womb becomes receptive. Culture The Gray Orcs have a tribal society, with there being multiple tribes, and each tribe consisting of multiple clans. There tends to be only one Gray Orc tribe in a major geographical region, and they tend to war against rival Goblinoid Tribes, often being hired as Mercenaries by other species to eradicate their cousins, and while their warbands wander great distances, the tribe remains very territorially rooted in a particular "under city" - a city typically built into a mountain, often upon the remains of a Dwarven stronghold, with their city stretching out around them - so rooted in this city, that they have no name for these, but identify the city specifically as being the tribe that inhabits it. Structure The Gray Orcs are structured nearly identically across all their tribes, following a very strict and unflexible set of traditions in regards to how they organize themselves. Tribes and Clans The tribes are called "Tal" followed by the tribe name, though the word for tribe in itself is "Talesh". Clans are called "Val" followed by the name of the head of the Household, with that name being hereditary, passed on and assumed by the next head of the Household - a specific clan is called a "Valesh". Warbands Most Gray-Orcs belong to a "Kas" (a warband), and the leader of such is a "Kassah". Each tribe always has at least two warbands, being the Kas-Mar (the Guards) and the Kas-Ard (the Army). The best warriors are typically in the Kas-Ard, with the young unproven warriors, as well as those who have not honored themselves in life being demoted to the Kas-Mar - but any Orc can try to form a Kas, if he can find sufficient members, and most tribes have at least a few roaming Kas-Gar (marauders bands) who travel around, working as mercenaries, raiding or what ever they decide to do. Mulag The Mulag is the population of the Tribal City that never really leaves the City for extended periods of time - essentially the Orcish Citizenry. It consists of all women and children, as well as the Yal and the Fur. Yal The Yal can be either male or female - with there being about a 50/50 split, slightly favoring women. A tribe typically has somewhere between 3-4 dozen Yal. They are the crafters and the educated among the Gray Orcs. They are required to marry immediately upon obtaining status as Yal, and must marry another Yal (if there is one), or wait in disgrace until one appears. * Note that it seems easier for females to become Yals, but many skills are best learned outside of the Mulag, where the Gar do not venture, and where the Dol generally have no business - as such, some Yals are selected from among male Orcs who learn these skills outside of the Mulag, and could only realistically in Gray Orc society, be learned by men due to social restrictions. It is also only ever Male orcs who bring in outside knowledge of crafts, and these are sometimes granted position as extra honorific Yals (an alternative to being a Fur, often only awarded to Gurs who return home without passing their trial, but with sufficient knowledge to become Yals) - tipping the scales close to the 50/50 split, still favoring women. Bol The Bol are young males who have not yet proven themselves. Often immature and incapable of deeper thought beyond instinct and forced reason, the Bol appear as though adults in physical form, but serve in the Kas-Mar until they come of age and mind to be chosen as Boleg. Bolir A Bolir is a Bol who passed his prime and was never chosen as Boleg, thus he serves forever in the Kas-Mar, clan-less and childless - in dishonor. Boleg A Boleg is a Bol who has been chosen by a Dol to join her Clan and mate with her. They cannot serve in the Kas-Mar, and serve instead in the Kas-Ard if they're good warriors - or alternatively (and most often) in a Kas-Gar with other members of their clan. Dol The Dol are women with no special skills or other value - they are the citizens of the Orcs. Once a Dol comes of age, she is required to choose a mate one moon after she has given birth, unless the Taz deems that she must wait for some reason (often medical reasons). If a Dol chooses a Boleg to mate with, he has no right to object, and effectively belongs to the Dol, until she decides to send him away or is chosen for marriage by a Fur (this rarely happens). The Dol form their own Valesh, claiming all their children and their partners into this Valesh. The Dol are Clan Matriarchs, often for life, as most Fur often choose a young Dol, just of age, as their wives - to avoid adopting a clan with multiple jealous Bolegs. Dol-Rus A Dol-Rus is a married Dol, who loses all formal power, and joins her husbands household. Only a Fur can claim a wife, and the Fur are the most honored champions among the Gray Orcs, who have brought honor to the Tribe, and each Fur is the leader of his own Val Dol-Gur A Dol-Gur is a widow who was a Dol-Rus. A Dol-Gur assumes a matronly position in her Clan, but does not lead it. Gar The Gar are children, regardless of Gender. Gray Orc children are very difficult to manage, and parents do not raise their own young - they give them over to be raised by the Yal, and merely visit with them to follow up on progress. Almost all decisions about a child are made by their mother, and the father does not have any say at all in any matters relating to the child, unless the father is a Fur, but most Furs take little interest in their children, save one or two. Gau The Gau are the children of Furs, at least once they grow up and would otherwise have become Bols. The Gau do not differ from the other Bols, except in one way - namely that they are required to go on journey to prove themselves worthy to be named Kassah of the Clans Kas-Gau (house-hold guard), consisting of those that have failed their trials (castrated males). The castrated males are dulled of most instincts, making them particularly loyal and calm - often to a fault, making them rather perfect soldiers. * Those the return home having failed in their trial, are castrated - unless they brought home information or skill that is of benefit to the Mulag, at which point they are elevated to position of Yal. * Some may pass their trial, but with there already being a Kassah of the Kas-Gau - they must either submit to castration and join the Kas-Gau, or kill the current Kassah. * A Kassah of a Clans Kas-Gau can at any time challenge their father for title of Fur. If the father dies of natural causes, the entire Kas-Gau is executed, except the Kassah, who ousted from the Mulag to join the Kas-Mar, where he may yet be chosen as a Boleg. Gol The Gol are the sons of the Chieftain of the tribe. The Chieftain sends sons to become Furs and Yals in other tribes, but the two most worthy sons become the leaders of the Kas-Mar and Kas-Ard, often having to train until they can slay their own uncles who ruled these units prior, or fall in the attempt - of little concern as the Chieftains usually sire many sons. Kal The Kal is chieftain until someone slays him in battle. Any member of the tribe can challenge the Chieftain, even a child or a woman, and he must accept, and can only be excused by order of the Taz. It is a fight to the death, and the winner is Chieftain. If the Chieftain dies of natural causes or injuries with no surviving tribe-member standing the succeeding victor, this is very dishonorable for the tribe - though less so if the Chieftain at least died in honorable battle, but in such cases, the leader of the Kas-Ard must assume the mantle. * Realistically, only the leader of the Kas-Ard has the training, skill and equipment to become the next Kal, and while Kals sometimes grow old and feeble enough that a mere Bol might be able to kill him in combat, they would then simply be slain by the Kal's son - making it a moot point. * One of the reasons the Bols are not allowed into the Mulag, is because they tend to challenge without thought - to prevent constant challenges, Bols are kept out of the Mulag, away from people they could challenge. Zar The Zar is the Shaman of the tribe, with the Tals being the lesser Shamans in service to the Zar. The Zar lives in the Mulag with the Tals and is sort of a co-ruler along with the Kal. The Zar cannot be replaced through battle, and the cult of the Zar is rather complicated, selecting members from the general population indiscriminate of gender, heritage or initial promise, and with the Tal selecting the next Zar from among their ranks through a procedure only they know.